$50,000 in grants available for innovative teachers in Northeast Ohio

Turning Foundation and The Raymond John Wean Foundation announce new round of teacher mini-grants for Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (Aug. 15, 2018) – The Turning Foundation, in collaboration with The Raymond John Wean Foundation, is announcing a new round of Innovative Teacher Mini-Grants for the 2018-19 school year. Up to $50,000 in cash grant awards will be available to fund projects in a four-county area – Ashtabula, Columbiana, Trumbull and Mahoning counties – with a special focus on Warren and Youngstown City Schools.

This grant opportunity promotes creative and innovative classroom practices that support 21st century teaching and learning.

“The purpose of this program is to improve student outcomes by helping local teachers make their classrooms a better place to learn through collaboration and innovation,” said John Wilson, director of the Turning Foundation. “We are happy to once again join with The Raymond John Wean Foundation to further that goal.”

As part of this initiative, the Turning Foundation is also teaming up with the Eastern Ohio Education Partnership, a network of community leaders representing education, faith-based, nonprofit, philanthropic and social sectors dedicated to providing children across the region with a quality education. The mini-grant application will require educators to align their efforts with one of EOEP’s four established goal areas:

Kindergarten readiness

Early grade reading proficiency

Middle grade math proficiency

Postsecondary/career readiness

Since 2010, more than $160,000 from this grant opportunity has gone to helping over 14,000 students across the area.

“For over a decade, the Raymond John Wean Foundation funded nearly $250,000 to support teachers in the classroom. In the two years since combining forces with the Turning Foundation, we’ve increased outreach and thus applications funded; seen the alignment of goals with EOEP result in more intentional projects; and have begun to share best practices to expand the good work of teachers. Because of this success, the Wean Foundation recently announced the continuation of this partnership over the next two years, demonstrating our commitment to funding what works,” said Jennifer Roller, president of the Raymond John Wean Foundation.

Grant cash awards range from $2,000 for individual teachers to $5,000 for larger collaboration efforts involving multiple educators and community partners. The deadline to submit a proposal is Wednesday, Sept. 26. Applications are available on the Turning Foundation website.